Nanoscale electronics promise a number of advantages including significantly reduced feature sizes and the potential for self-assembly or other relatively inexpensive, non-photolithography-based fabrication methods. Nanowire crossbar arrays can be used to form a variety of electronic circuits and devices, including ultra-high density nonvolatile memory. Programmable crosspoint devices can be interposed between nanowires at intersections where two nanowires overlay each other. These programmable crosspoint devices can be programmed to maintain two or more conduction states. For example, the programmable crosspoint devices may have a first low resistance state and a second higher resistance state. Data can be encoded into these programmable crosspoint devices by selectively setting the state of the crosspoint devices within the nanowire array. The state of a target crosspoint device can be read by applying a voltage across the target crosspoint device and measuring the current which passes through the target crosspoint device. However, leakage currents which pass through other paths can obscure the current passing through the target crosspoint device. Reducing these leakage currents within the nanowire array can yield significant operational and manufacturing advantages.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.